For 12 years vocalist and rhythm guitarist Ryan Terrigno has played in local bands. It remains his dream, his passion, his primary hobby.

His latest group, We Are the Arsenal, has been diligently progressing forward within the greater Southern California while remaining unsigned for seven years. But Terrigno isn't ready to give it all up. As they prepare to issue fifth effort American Folklore on March 26 – and celebrate with a release party at House of Blues Anaheim two nights later – the songwriter is convinced this is the band's strongest, most focused work.

"This time around, going into it, I kept telling the guys that anything that makes me nervous, I want to do," he shared when we met for lunch near the Orange Circle. "Anything that's unsettling, that we haven't done, let's just go for it. That came into play in a lot of parts we'd play and certainly a lot on vocals."

After being invited to open for O.C. mainstay Lit at the Mouse House last June, WATA laid low for most of the summer, sketching out new songs, when bassist Alan Bauer abruptly left the band. Not wanting to cancel a gig they'd been promoting for weeks at the Slidebar Rock-N-Roll Kitchen, lead guitarist Caleb Blacksher, who joined in 2011, enlisted his friend Alex Seielstad to fill in with two weeks notice. It all clicked and Seielstad has been with the band ever since.

Following that performance, the band grew serious about constructing its new seven-song set.

With previous efforts – including 2008 debut EP The Trees, the next year's full-length They Worshiped the Trees and subsequent EPs There Will Come Soft Rains (2010) and Surveillance (2012) – WATA had been constrained by time and funding for recording studios. On this album, however, they went DIY: Drummer Kris Dufour tracked his parts in the studio with longtime engineer Justin Powell, then the group headed to Blacksher's Huntington Beach apartment to hammer out the rest. The guitarist has a substantial Pro Tools rig in the middle of his living room and also built a studio-size isolation booth to achieve the desired crisp sound.

"He has a very understanding girlfriend," Terrigno says with a laugh. "The booth was great because usually I'm singing in a closet. We tracked all of the guitars, bass and vocals and we did it all on our own schedule, from October to the last week of January. It was an interesting process, but also great because we've never had that luxury of time, we were always on the clock to finish it up.

"Everything was much more focused and we really worked on the tone; we tried out different guitars, amps and mic setups and different arrangements. During one song I wanted to hear some marching stomps, so we put the mic on the floor in the kitchen and I had the guys stomp. I think you can even hear some change jiggling in one of their pockets. We got to try fun things like that."

It also enabled them to have Blacksher contribute backing harmonies for the first time, an upshot of a more organic writing and recording process. The lyrical content developed quickly, with Terrigno bringing in pieces for the rest of the band to collectively enhance.

As with Surveillance, the ideas carry a Big Brother-like theme. "That one was just more outspoken politically," he says. "This one has some political undertones sprinkled in, but we decided to call it American Folklore because there are so many references to folk tales. We mention things like the Big Bad Wolf, the Boy Who Cried Wolf, the Salem witch trials – even the cover artwork looks a little like Little Red Riding Hood."

As for gaining new fans, Terrigno says it's been business as usual: playing a steady stream of gigs, connecting with people via social networking sites and trying to get their music into the hands of the right people in the industry.

The band, specifically original members Dufour and Terrigno, have grown to appreciate the hard work they've put into the past seven years and the highlights that have come with it, including opening for established acts like Thirty Seconds to Mars, making it to the OC Music Awards Showcase Series finals twice and hearing their stuff on KROQ's Locals Only program. But each member still holds down a steady day job to support their dedication to creating more.

"Music is everything to me," Terrigno says. "I've been friends with our drummer for 16 years and been in bands with him for 12 of those. None of us ever really had backup plans – it was just going to be this.

"Being an unsigned band isn't glamorous or easy, and it's a lot of work with sometimes very little payback. A lot of the bands we came up playing with have called it quits. It's been a long road, but we've hit enough successful little milestones to make it worthwhile and make me believe there's a light at the end of the tunnel. There's hope here."

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